About Toray Science Foundation

The Toray Science Foundation was established on June 23, 1960, through a 1 billion yen endowment by Toray Industries, Inc. Subsequent donations have increased its basic fund to 1.8 billion yen. The foundation is recognized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Science and Technology Agency under the Civil Law.

Objective

The foundation's objective is to contribute to the advancement of science and technology by supporting basic researches in science.

Activities

1. Toray Science and Technology Grant:

to subsidize basic research projects in science and technology

The Foundation provides financial assistance to creative young scientists for their basic research projects in the fields of science and technology carried out in Japan.

2. Toray Science and Technology Prize:

to recognize outstanding scientific achievements

The Toray Science and Technology Prize is awarded to scientists for their distinguished achievements in science and technology. Prizewinners are presented with a gold medal and a supplemental award of 5 million yen. The Foundation invites leading scientific societies and selected scientists to recommend candidates for the Prize every year. Two scientists from among recommended are selected for prizewinners of the year by the screening committee consisting of eminent scientists. Final acknowledgement is given by the board of directors.

3. Toray Science Education Prize:

to recognize creative and innovative contributions to effective science education in junior and senior high schools

The Toray Science Education Prize is an award to commend junior and senior high school teachers who have given creative and innovative lessons in science with good results. Prizewinners are presented with a silver medal and a supplemental award of 700,000 yen.

Subscription is open to any teachers and some ten prizewinners are selected by the examination committee and acknowledged by the board every year.

The Foundation publishes a booklet collecting the description of the prizewinner's works and circulates about 16,000 copies of it to junior and senior high schools every year, and produces a videotape recording a selected prizewinner's work and lends it to teachers.

4. Toray Science Foundation International Research Grant:

to subsidize basic research projects in natural science at overseas universities.

The foundation calls and selects candidates locally.
The Foundation subsidizes basic research projects in the fields of natural science carried out by young scientists in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Total amount of the grant is 15 million yen annually.

Accumulation of Activities

from 1960 to 2015

1. Toray Science and Technology Grant

616 projects

6,365 million yen

2. Toray Science and Technology Prize

117 winners

428 million yen

3. Toray Science Education Prize

654 winners

202 million yen

4. Toray Science Foundation International Research Grant

631 projects

398 million yen

5. Science Lecture Meeting

63 meetings

Board Members

Directors

(President)
Sadayuki Sakakibara

Chief Senior Advisor, Chief Senior Counselor, Toray Industries,Inc.

(Executive Director)
Hiroshi Takahashi

Executive Director, Toray Science Foundation

Hiroo Imura

Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University

Hiroyuki Abe

Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University

Ryoji Noyori

Director-General, Center for Research and Development Strategy,
Japan Science and Technology Agency